Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 55

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I > Part 55

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commonwealth-to take effect next Decem- ber-he said that in murder cases, when the jury find a verdict, they may fix the punishment at death, or, in their discre- tion, at a long term in the State Legisla- ture. And the best of it was, the Judge didn't detect his mistake ; and when told of it afterward, swore he didn't say any such thing."

May 26-The Louisville Courier-Journal, in an article demonstrating the vast ex- pense and lost time of the recent legisla- ture, wasted upon private and local laws, . gives the following classification of some of these bills, and the number in each class :

Railroad charters and amendments. ...

Steam packet charters. 3

Telegraph charters 2

Relating to towns 125

Corporations, manufacturing, mining,

agricultural, building and loan ..... 113 Bank charters and amendments 28 Prohibitory liquor laws .. 42

Churches, cemeteries and orphan asy- lums .. 32

Colleges and seminaries 33

Turnpike companies. 102 Ferries 4

Benefit of clerks.

Protection of birds and fish in localities 9

Masons, Odd Fellows, &c., charters ..... 32

Benefit of private persons . 125 Benefit of jailers .. 14

Benefit of sheriffs and ex-sheriffs

Relating to counties. 103 Relating to certain courts 47

Public schools in certain localities 79 Streams declared navigable. 11

May 27-A tornado passed over Louis- ville, doing much damage to property, partially unroofing several houses, blowing down chimneys, trees, and fences, etc .; the lightning struck repeatedly, with con- siderable damage.

May 27, 28-Episcopal Convention of the Diocese of Kentucky in session at Lex- ington, Assistant Bishop Cummins pre- siding ; Bishop Smith absent. A memo- rial protest and petition from Grace church, Louisville, claimed that Bishop Smith had been guilty of usurpation, and of injustice toward the Rev. James Briscoe, late as- sistant minister of Grace church parish, in refusing to receive his letter dismissory from the ecclesiastical authority of Mary - land-giving as his reason therefor, that Mr. Briscoe, during his six months proba- tion, had introduced innovations into the P. E. worship of which the bishop disap- proved, and which were not sanctioned by the rubric. After an animated discussion, the convention decided not to receive the memorial, and spread it upon the records, even after its strong expressions were greatly modified. Rev. Mr. Platt's reso- lution requesting the Assistant Bishop to present to the next meeting of the conven- tion his views in regard to the establish- ment of " brotherhoods and sisterhoods " in the church was freely discussed, and then withdrawn.

May 28-Fire at Carlisle, Nicholas co. ; 10 houses destroyed, including several stores, R. R. depot, and dwellings ; loss about $30,000, with $20,000 insurance.

May 28-Zach. Ford, of Woodford co., clips from a Cotswold ram 2012 pounds of nice, clean wool.

May 28-Murder in his own house in Washington co., near the Mercer co. line, of Dr. Geo. C. Alfred, and robbery of his body, by two yellow boys whom he had raised, named George Miler Alfred and Ned Alfred. They escaped, but Miler was arrested in Pennsylvania, brought to Springfield, tried in March, 1874, and hung on Friday, May 1. Dr. Alfred's widow was indicted, and to be tried as an acces- sary in the murder of her husband.

May 29-A copy of the Siamese Bible, or Holy Book, presented to the Public Library at Louisville. It consists of a bundle of 33 very thin strips of bamboo, 28 inches long by 114 inches wide ; of which 5 form the cover of the book, and the other 28 are traced with Siamese char - acters which require to be read lengthwise of the book, instead of across.

May 29-A. J. Alexander, of Woodburn farm, Woodford co., sells for $10,000 a two-year old heifer, the " Duchess of Airdrie XVth," to go to England.

May 29-Temporary organization at Louisville of Central University.

May 30-Suicide, near Bowling Green, of Ben. Scobee ; it is supposed, from re- morse at having killed his young friend, Ben. Parrish, at the depot in Bowling Green, on March 20, 1873, for which he was held in $15,000 bail.

May 30-Graves of the Federal dead at Louisville and some other points in Ky. strewed with flowers-on this day ap- pointed by congress as a national memo- rial day.

As part of the exercises at Cave Hill Cemetery, an order was read from the U. S. quartermaster general, from which it appeared that there are 73 national ceme- teries under the immediate control of the government, and 316 like Cave Hill-not regular national graveyards, but in which many thousands of soldiers lie buried. The Government has appropriated $1,000,000, for tombstones over the graves. There are over 4,000 soldiers' graves in Cave Hill, and 2,807 (of whom 1,000 are colored) in the national cemetery at New Albany, In- diana, 5 miles distant.

May 31-Jas. Jeffers, a policeman, shot at Frankfort by desperadoes. A public meeting held on Sunday, and resolutions passed. $1,000 reward offcred for the murderers.

June 1-Death at Louisville, at a fire on Green street, of John Hunt, a member of the fire department, from a broken heart.

June 2-In the Centre College trustces case from Boyle co., Wm. B. Kinkead and others vs. John L. McKee and others, the court of appeals affirms the decision of the court below in favor of the (Northern) General Assembly trustees-because they

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claim under a contract in the charter, which gives the exclusive right of election to "the body of the Presbyterian clergy and elders in connection with the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America, who meet annually as a synod in the State of Ken- tucky, of whatever individuals they may be composed at the time of their annual meeting, and as such are capable of being identified in fact at each meeting." This General Assembly, it is in proof, has never ceased to exist ; and clergy and elders have been meeting as a synod in Ken- tucky in connection with it ever since the contract was made, in 1824. Appellants do not claim to belong to this General Assembly. Even if they felt compelled -by reason of its disregard of the organic law of their church government-to throw off allegiance to it; still that is no reason why the plain provisions of an express con- tract should be disregarded. The owner- ship of the property is not involved in this suit.

June 3-Frank H. Walworth, aged 19, shot and killed his father, Mansfield Tracy Walworth, at a hotel in New York city, this morning. Domestic trouble the cause, the deceased having been guilty of very harsh and brutal treatment of his wife, repeatedly threatening her and the son's life. The N. Y. Sun says that " when she left her husband's residence, Mrs. Walworth bore upon her body the marks of ill-usage. She had been beaten until the black and blue spots were every-where visible, and her hands had been bitten by the brutal husband, his teeth tearing the flesh away until the bones were laid bare."

, Young Walworth was subsequently tried, and sent to the penitentiary. The family were for some years residents of Louis- ville ; and Mrs W. was the daughter of a Kentuckian, Col. John J. Hardin, living in Illinois in 1847 when he was killed at the battle of Buena Vista.

June 3, 4, 5-State Dental Association of Ky. in session at Louisville. On the 5th, the State Dental Association of Indi- ana met with it in joint conference.

June 4-Fifth annual meeting of the Kentucky Press Association, at Paris. 31 Kentucky editors, and several correspond- June 24-Tobacco dry-house of Dr. E. R. W. Thomas, at Covington, destroyed by fire, with 360 hhds. old and 200 new tobacco, of which but little was saved; loss $85,000, insurance $55,000. ents of papers outside of the state, present. Annual address by Col. Jas. A. Dawson, of the Louisville Ledger, and poem by Ben. Harrison, of the Henderson News. Thos. M. Green, of the Maysville Eagle elected June 27-Lieut. Gov. John G. Carlisle orator for next year, and Wm. J. Davis, jis acting governor of Ky., during the ab- of the Louisville Home and School poet ; sence of Gov. Leslie on an Eastern trip. and Murat Halstead, of the Cincinnati June 28-Several fatal cases of Asiatic cholera at Covington, within a week. Commercial, invited to read an essay. A banquet was given by the citizens at night.

June 6-Rev. Stuart Robinson, D. D., and Rev. Samuel R. Wilson, D. D., two of the ablest of living Ky. divines, leave Louisville this week for Europe-the former designing to extend his tour to Egypt and Palestine.

June 6-Hopkinsville district confer-

ence of the "Methodist E. Church in America," composed entirely of colored people, in session at Princeton, Caldwell co., Bishop Wm. Henry Miles presiding. Bishop M. was born, Dec., 1828, in Wash- ington co., Ky., a slave; was willed his free- dom by his mistress in 1853, but a lawsuit retained him in slavery until 1864: was licensed to preach in 1853 by Rev. Dr. A. H. Redford, of Nashville ; was ordained bishop in 1870 by Bishops Payne and McTyiere, of the Methodist E. Church South. His episcopal jurisdiction extends over Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Kan- sas, and North Mississippi. Four other colored men are now bishops in the same church, which was formed originally from the colored members of the M. E. Church South.

June 6-The Ashland Coal and Iron Works Co. declares a dividend of 60 per cent.

June 10-In Clark co., 12 head of thoroughbred shorthorn cattle sold to par- ties from England, for exportation thither.

June 13-Zach. F. Smith resigns the presidency of the Cumberland and Ohio R. R., of which he has been the very head and front, if not " the very life and hope."

June 13-The committee of the board of curators of Ky. University made a report to-day, exonerating Regent John B. Bow- man; who then tendered his resignation as regent and treasurer -- which the board almost unanimously refused to accept, thus fully indorsing .his course.

June 13-Joseph Duncan, colored, hung at Paris, for the murder of John Hawkins, colored. When first hung, the rope stretched so much that he touched the ground with his feet. While still strug- gling and breathing, though unconscious, the rope was cut, and he was taken upon the scaffold and hung the second time. Nine minutes elapsed between the two hangings.

June 20-Col. S. T. Hauser, formerly of Falmouth, Pendleton co., Ky., but now a bank president in Montana Territory, proposes to place upon exhibition at the World's Fair in Vienna, a solid ingot of Montana gold weighing 400 pounds and worth $90,000 in coin.

June 28-To Clifton F. Carr, son of Judge Chas. D. Carr, of Lexington, is awarded the "Boudinot Historical Fel- lowship " of Princeton College, N. J., value $250-for the best essay on the "Causes and effects of the English Revo- lution," and for the best examination on the history of that period.

June 29-Death at Covington, of paraly.

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sis, of Jesse R. Grant, father of the Presi- | to commune, but when in the act of kneel- dent of the United States, in his 80th ing dropped dead from heart disease. year ; born in Pa., Jan 12, 1794; raised to July 15-Three colored men candidates for the legislature-one in cach of the counties of Daviess, Henry, and Franklin. the tanner's trade, near Germantown, Ma- son co., Ky .; a resident of Ohio, from 1821 to 1855, since then in Covington, Ky., of which city he has been postmaster since 1865. His wife, to whom he had been mar- ried 52 years, survived him. The Presi- dent was present at the funeral, on July 1st.

July 1-Free delivery of letters and pa- pers begins in Covington.

July 1-John B. Poyntz, near Mays- ville, sells to parties near Galveston, Texas, 12 yearling Alderney heifers.

July 1-Horrible murder near Penning- tonville, Chester co., Pa., of a Ky. dro- ver, name unknown, who was robbed of $1,500. The murder was not discovered until July 12th, when the body was found, with both arms and legs cut off, his throat severed from ear to ear, and three large stabs through the body.

July 2-At Louisville, the premium Owen co. tobacco, raised by John Val- landigham, sold for $3112 per hundred pounds, Wm. Baker's for the same, and Philip Alexander's for $33 ; the latter was white Burley, and the former two red Bur- ley.

July 6-Paducah and Memphis rail- road, 220 miles long, finished, all but 55 miles.

July 8-Third grand gift concert in aid of the Public Library of Kentucky at Lou- isville ; the capital prize, $100,000, drawn by L. H. Keith, of Kingston, Mass., and the next highest, $50,000, by Willis Wor- ley, of Giles co., Tenn., a member of the Tennessee legislature.

July 9-47 deaths from cholera (28 white and 19 colored), at Franklin, Simpson co., since the disease first appeared, June 21; 5 other deaths from cholera in Simpson co.

July 10-Homer Hudson, a tobacco man- ufacturer of Covington, purchases a pack- age of tobacco raised in Floyd co., Va., at the enormous price of $140 per 100 pounds.

July 10-At a meeting of the Alumni Association of Central University, at Lex- ington, the order locating the institution at Anchorage was revoked-ayes 235, nays 131.

July 11-Annual Convention of the Grand Commandery of Kentucky Knights Templar, at Newport.

July 12-The Royal Saxon Band perform to a very large audience, in the Exposition building, Louisville. The Exposition man- agers offer the Band $35,000, to play dur- ing the coming Exposition. The Band accepts, upon condition that the King of Saxony will give them leave of absence ; (but he refused). .

July 12-Rye 8 feet high on a farm in Lewis co., on which guano was the fertil- izer.

July 13-At a Methodist sacramental meeting at Shiloh church near Hopkins- ville, Mrs. Emily Owen, apparently in perfect health, walked forward to the altar

July 15-Covington, Flemingsburg and Pound Gap R. R. Co. organized at Flem- ingsburg ; John T. Sullivan elected presi- den ; length 225 miles, to the terminus on the Virginia line. The engineer estimates the cost at $27,634 per mile for 4 ft. 812 in. gauge, or $16,500 per mile for 3 ft. nar- row gauge; or a total cost of $0,217,550 for regular, and $3,712,500 for narrow gange.

July 15-Three serious fires and two alarms, to-night, in Louisville-'at 9: 22, 9 : 45, 10 : 40, 11 : 45 p. M. and 12 : 30 A. M .; the most extensive being the fourth, which destroyed the Bamberger, Bloom & Co. stone-front block, on E. side of 4th st., adjoining the Public Library building (which narrowly escaped); loss by all the fires, $84,000, insurance $67,000. A heavy rainstorm aided in extinguishing the fires. Quite a panic among the citi- zens was caused, who feared a concerted effort to destroy the city by starting fires in three centers of business almost simul- taneously ; and the Mayor telegraphed to Cincinnati for several steam fire engines, which were promptly shipped upon a special railroad train.

July 15-9 deaths, 6 blacks and 3 whites, from cholera, at Elizabethtown, Hardin co., since July 11. A number of deaths, also, at Paducah, and at Bowling Green. 21 deaths, mostly negroes, at Grayson, Carter co.

July 15-In the U. S. district court at Louisville, Judge Bland Ballard affirms the opinion of Warner L. Underwood, Jr., register in bankruptcy, in the " spe- cial deposit " cases vs. Bank of Bowling Green-growing out of the thefts and other malfeasance in office of Calvert, the cashier. The decision defeats the claims of the general creditors of the bank, and prefers those of J. J. Claypool for $17,- 000 and the Shakers at South Union for $35,734.

July 16-Annual reunion, at Paris, of soldiers of the war of 1812; 67 present- their united ages 5,406, an average of 8012 years ; 20 counties in Ky. and 1 in Illinois represented ; Capt. Jack Martin, of Clark co., aged 75, was the youngest, and Wm. E. Gayle, of Illinois, aged 98, the oldest.

July 20-The two most important post- offices in Kentucky held by ladies-Louis- ville, by Mrs. Lucy M. Porter, daughter of the late Gov. Jas. T. Morehead, and Cov- ington, by Mrs. Sultana Sebree Farrell.

July 20-Suicide at Lexington, by mor- phine, of Dr. Thos. P. Dudley, Jr .- for more than 20 years the first medical as- sistant at the Eastern Ky. Lunatic Asy - lum. Gov. Leslie had recently offered bim the superintendency, when Dr. Whitney resigned, but it was decidedly declined. It is supposed that such long and intimate

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association with insanity in all its forms, had helped to develop in Dr. D. a tem- porary insanity that made him . take his own life. He had high endowments of mind and heart, which fitted him for the post he filled so ably.

July 21-Tom Bowling, a Ky. horse, wins the 2-mile race at Long Branch, N. J., in 3: 42, although from his own bad conduct he was 50 yards behind at the start.

July 21 to 27-Charles Zirhut, a Ger- man, 23 years old, rows in a paper boat from Pittsburg to Cincinnati, in 172 hours less than 6 days-winning a wager of $500. From Portsmouth to Cincinnati, 112 miles, was made inside of 19 hours, an average of about 6 miles an hour. The boat was a paper shell, 30 feet long, 12 inches beam, and weighs only 20 pounds ; oars 11 feet long, the tips modeled in the shape of a spoon.

July 22-At Frankfort, Thos. S. Theo- bald and wife quietly celebrated the 60th anniversary of their marriage. At Mays- ville, in May last, Isaac Thomas and wife celebrated the 64th anniversary of their marriage.

July 23-Elder I. B. Grubbs, the preach- er, and the 4 elders of the " Chestnut Street Christian church of Louisville," are " encouraged to strike a sounding blow" at the board of curators of Ky. Univer- sity, and at their recent action, in an ad- dress, thus :

"As far as our right extends as a con- stituent part of the Kentucky Christian Brotherhood owning Kentucky University, we demand :

First-The severance of the university belonging to the Christian Church of Ken- tucky from the Agricultural and Mechan- ical College belonging to the State, as soon as it can be effected through the Legis- lature, and that hereafter, by amendment of the charter, no person shall hold the position of curator who is not recognized as a member of the Christian Church.

Second-The continuance of Professor John W. McGarvey in the Bible college, and the resignation of those who seek his removal as soon as others can be elected to their places who will respect the will of our brotherhood.

Third-The abolition of the regency, or the election to that office of one who is in full fellowship with the Christian Church as a member of the same."

July 24-The Travers stake race to-day, 134 miles, at Saratoga, N. Y., Tom Bow- ling (the 3-year-old Ky. horse), although carrying 110 pounds, wins in 3:0934, be- ing within 112 seconds of the fastest time ever made in this race. Kentucky, another great colt of Lexington, won the same stake race in 1864 in 3 : 1834 minutes. Tom Bowling made the last quarter of a mile in an easy canter ; otherwise his race would have been the quickest time ever made.

July 25-Several two and three-year-old trotters, in the stables around Lexington, in private and public trials, make one mile in 2 : 36, 2 : 4094, 2: 46, 2: 5612, and sev-

eral in 2: 40 each ; a one-year-old made a record in 3:02.

July 26-Trustees of the Public Library at Louisville donate to the American Printing House for the Blind, also in that city, a sum sufficient to print in raised let- ters for the blind the immortal work of Defoe, Robinson Crusoe.

July 26-The Ky., Cumberland Gap and Southern R. R. Co., organized at Scholls- ville, Clark co. ; $51,000 reported as sub- scribed ; it was decided to begin the sur- vey between Paris and the Three Forks of Ky. river. .

July 27-About 14 masked men, at 127% A. M., entered the cabin of a colored man named Lewis Wilson, near Gratz, Owen co., and began shooting at him in bed ; he sprang up, defended himself, drove them off, and fought them all the way to the Ky. river, 200 yards off ; then went to the house of a white neighbor, where every atten- tion was given him, but he died from his wounds next morning. He identified sev- eral of the assassins, and writs were issued for their arrests.

July 27-5 deaths of cholera at La- grange, Oldham co., in 3 days, where it had previously prevailed with virulence ; two-thirds of the citizens leave the town. Many scattered cases all over Ky., from Covington and Maysville to Paducah, Lebanon, Bowling Green, Hartford, and other points, and in the country ; several at Louisville.

July 27-Memphis and other West Ten- nessee newspapers advocate the formation of a new State, with these boundaries : Begin at a point on the Ky. shore oppo- site Cairo, Illinois ; thence along the Ky. bank of the Ohio river to the mouth of the Tennessee river at Paducah ; thence up the west bank of the Tennessee river to Eastport, at the N. w. corner of the State of Alabama ; thence along the State line between Alabama and Mississippi to the S. E. corner of Monroe co., Miss .; thence in a direction partly along the Tallahatchie river to Bolivar, on the Mississippi river ; and up that river to the beginning-con- taining from 25,000 to 30,000 square miles, and embracing parts of Kentucky, Ten- nessee, and Mississippi. July 28, 29- A convention was held at Jackson, Tenn., to promote its formation; but few Ken- tuckians present. On the eentral execu- tive committee were appointed the follow- ing from Kentucky : John Martin, Jr .; of McCracken co .; Col. G. A. Christian Holt, of Calloway co. ; Judge James White, of Ballard co. ; Capt. C. L. Randall, of Fulton co. ; and D. A. Weill, of Graves co. A resolution was unanimously adopted, that each fraction of a State taken to form part of the new State is expected to pay its pro rata of the debt of the State of which it is now a part. The movement is re- spectable, but has no considerable vitality in western Ky. ; it is comparatively new, and has been agitated but little.

July 30-In a " complete list " of those members of congress who have refused to

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draw, or have returned, their " back pay," 41 Republicans and 11 Democrats, no Ken- tucky member's name appears.

July 31-Several large auction sales, during the month, of thoroughbred horse and short-horn cattle stock, in Fayette, Woodford, Shelby, and other counties.

Aug. 1-Since Jan. 1, 1873, seven months, the aggregate cost of new build- ings in Louisville has been $1,186,350 ; besides which, $131,396 were expended in repairing and refitting old houses. The new City Hall, recently finished at a cost of $500,000, is not included in the above.

Aug. 1-Ex-Senator Willis B. Machen, in a long, able, and interesting review of the subject of congressional salaries, ex- plains his recent vote on the " back pay " question, in the U. S. senate.

Aug. 1-12 deaths from cholera in and around Princeton, Caldwell co., since July 18.

Aug. 1-31 coal mines are opened and being worked, on the Elizabethtown and Paducah railroad-a good illustration of how rapidly and certainly railroads de- velop local business and enterprise.

Aug. 2-Campbell E. Hurst, a young lawyer and county clerk, killed at Mt. Pleasant, Harlan co., by John L. Jones. He was trying to prevent a breach of the peace by a party of carousing men, when one of them stabbed him four times.

Aug. 4-Annual state election. James W. Tate re-elected state treasurer : Tate, 94,922, Robert C. McKee, 4,386. The new legislature will stand : Senate, 31 Democrats, 7 Republicans ; House of Rep- resentatives, 80 Democrats, 20 Republicans.

Aug. 4-Negro riot at the polls held at the negro school house, in the negro sec- tion of Nicholasville, Jessamine co .; sev- eral white men pursued by the armed riot- ers, and many shots fired ; the white citi- zens artned themselves, and awaited the coming of the negroes-but the latter were halted by the sheriff, a Republican, and several of the best citizens, and prudently retired to the neighborhood of the school house; the negro who brought on the trouble was wounded in the leg.

Aug. 4-At 10 p. M., at North Middle- town, Bourbon co., after the election was over, two young men, John Talbott and Joseph Harris, got drunk together. Tal- bott declared that a man of honor, having participated in a primary election, would support the nominee-which Harris had not done. Harris retorted with some low, insulting epithets, to which Talbott re- joined, when Harris drew his pistol and shot Talbott three times, producing death in two days. [Harris sentenced to peni- tentiary for 4 years. ]

Aug. 6-Death, from old age, near Alex- andria, Campbell co., of "Aunt Hagar," a colored woman, aged 122 years; she was born in Va., March 21, 1751.

Aug. 7-First insane patients taken to the new 4th Lunatic asylum, at Anebor- age, 12 miles g. of Louisville ; which was erected and recently opened as the State

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Reform School, but owing to the rapid in- crease of insane in the state, overrunning the Eastern and Western Lunatic asylums, the legislature ordered such alterations as would adapt it to the emergency. Gov. Leslie appointed Dr. C. C. Forbes superin- tendent.

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Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 55

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn Publication date: 1874 Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452